1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gardening. More particularly, the present invention relates to the planting of seeds in a garden. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a seed planter apparatus for a home garden that can distribute even a small quantity of any size seed uniformly over a seed row.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
In planting some vegetables, the seeds must be positioned in the furrows in regularly and uniformly spaced relation. Ideally, each seed should be at least a predetermined distance from the adjacent seeds to provide for proper growth thereof, and the seeds must be as close together as possible to provide maximum use of the home garden or acreage. Although many types of seed separators are employed with various types of planters, many of these separators do not provide a positive control of the rate of feeding of individual seeds from the planter to the furrow in the ground.
Due to the recent green movement, rising food prices, and heightened consumer interest in healthy foods, more and more individuals are maintaining home gardens. These gardens can range from small elevated gardens to more extensive operations involving numerous rows and a wide variety of vegetables. Such home gardens can require extensive time commitment. One of the most time consuming tasks related to home gardening is the planting of seeds.
In the past, various patents have been issued relating to seed planters and similar apparatus for evenly distributing seeds in a furrow. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,770,400 issued on Nov. 13, 1956 to Mattson et al. describes a seed separating and feeding mechanism. The seed planter has a frame and a seed carrying hopper. A flat seed conveyer belt is secured to a driving element, and delivers seeds to a delivery means on the frame which is operatively connected to the conveyer for receiving the seeds therefrom and delivering the seeds to the ground for planting.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,206 issued on Dec. 2, 1975 to Gillies et al., describes a seed separator with adjustment capability for different seed sizes. The seed separator has a seed spacing means wherein a single row or plurality of rows of spaced apart seed may be sown with pre-determined spacing along the rows and when sowing a plurality of rows per single run. Pre-determined spacing is provided between the rows and a plurality of seed spacing means may be coupled in side-by-side relationship or in a tandem array to increase the area of coverage per single run. The seed is sown at regular pre-selectable depths.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,044 issued on Dec. 20, 1938 to Rassmann et al., describes a hill dropping seeder. The hill dropping seeder is particularly adapted for dropping seeds in hills such as sugar beets and the like, where it is desirable that the hills be spaced equally apart to facilitate the harvesting of the beets when they are mature. A feature resides in the simple construction of the seeder which does not need a separate feeding mechanism to meter out the seed as was used in the prior art because the same is designed with a belt which travels across the bottom of the seed supply picking up the seed.
U.S. Pat. No. 977,773 issued on Dec. 2, 1910 to Atkins, describes a guano distributor. The guano distributor is a type of fertilizer distributor. The distributor can be filled without the disadvantage of having the fertilizer falling from the bottom of the hopper during the filling. The fertilizer is fed from the hopper by a screw or worm conveyer to the feed spout. The distributor has a frame with a handle similar to a lawnmower for moving the distributor along the desired area.
U.S. Pat. No. 288,080 issued on Nov. 6, 1883 describes a seed planter. The seed planter can distribute two kinds of seed at one time, if so desired, or to distribute seed and at the same time a fertilizer. The seed planter has a rectangular frame and a seed box mounted thereon. The seed box has two compartments. Belts that are driven by the wheels of the seed planter serve to turn a gear within the hopper for distributing the seeds.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a seed planting apparatus that uniformly distributes even a small quantity of seeds in a row.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a seed planting apparatus that is adjustable so as to accommodate various row lengths.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a seed planting apparatus that can accommodate any size of seed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide seed planting apparatus that is inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a seed planting apparatus that is simple to use and well suited for the home gardener.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.